McStay couple’s remains among those found near Victorville

Michael McStay, the brother of Joseph McStay, speaks during a news conference Friday at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department about his family, whose remains were found on the outskirts of Victorville on Monday.
photos by lafonzo carter — staff photographer

San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon confirms that the remains of a body found in a shallow grave Monday near Victorville belong to Summer McStay, 43, of Fallbrook.

SAN BERNARDINO >> The nearly four-year-long search for the missing McStay family of San Diego County came to an end as two of the four sets of skeletal remains found just north of Victorville this week have been identified as those of Joseph McStay, 40, and his wife, Summer, 43,, sheriff’s officials confirmed Friday.

Sheriff’s officials close to the investigation confirmed at least one set of remains taken out of one of the grave sites had been bound with an electric cord.

Clothing was also found in the graves.

McMahon, who was repeatedly questioned during the news conference about whether the killings were related to a drug cartel, said the investigation hasn’t revealed a connection yet.

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“We’ll go where the investigation leads,” he said. “There is no indication of it now.”

San Diego County sheriff’s detectives and FBI agents from the San Diego office suspected the family had crossed the border into Mexico at the time of their disappearance and left of their own free will.

The FBI and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department will remain involved in the investigation.